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Mana Action
Wizards of the Coast offices are closed for the Memorial Day holiday here in the United States. We'll be back with new articles beginning on Tuesday, 5/31. Here, in case you missed it, is Mark Rosewater's article from last week, which discusses the many benefits of the mana system that sits at the heart of Magic. It's definitely worth a read or re-read—oh, except for that part about next Monday being Memorial Day. That's confusing at best, and causality-violating at worst. So go ahead and ignore that part.
Enjoy the article, have a great holiday if you're in the US, and watch out for time loops!
Kelly Digges
Daily MTG Editor
I gave ten answers to the question (and really if you haven't read it, give it a look—it's one of my five-star columns,) but the first three are the ones that matter for today. When Richard Garfield made Magic he created what I refer to as the Golden Trifecta, three genius ideas that Richard rolled up into one amazing product. The three parts of the Golden Trifecta are the concept of a trading card game, the color wheel, and the mana system.
In my article Magic Design Seminar: Looking Within, I spend a lot of time talking about how a trading card game works. In it, I stress the advantages a trading card game has and what makes it so awesome. In my article The Value of Pie, I talk about why I believe the color pie is at the crux of the game and what makes it so valuable. That leaves just one piece of the Golden Trifecta that doesn't have its own article singing its praises. And hey, look, it's Mana Week! Perhaps it's time to explain what Magic's mana system does for the game and why it's so important.
Mana the People
As I said in my "As Good As It Gets" column, I feel the mana system is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Golden Trifecta, as it gets no respect. (For my younger readers: Rodney Dangerfield was a stand-up comedian with the catchphrase "I get no respect." You might know him from movies like Caddyshack or Back to School, or quite possibly you've just never heard of him.) My goal today is to explain why it deserves some respect. Without further ado, here are the many things the mana system does for Magic:
#1 – It Allows Magic to be a Trading Card Game
In almost every game, there are pieces that are stronger than others. A queen is better than a pawn, an ace is better than a deuce (usually), a marshal is better than a sergeant (scouts and spies can at least do things marshals can't). That's fine in a game where the designer controls the mix of pieces a player gets. Players use weaker pieces because they are part of the game and have to be dealt with.
In a trading card game, though, the designer doesn't have control over what gets played with. Players get to choose whatever pieces they want. In order for that to work, the game needs some way to make as many cards as possible matter. One answer to this is functionality (and the need for the color wheel, but that's a different article—see above). Different cards can do different things. But in order for a trading card game to work, it needs a lot more cards than mere functionality is going to solve.
This is where the mana system comes in. By making spells have a cost, you are able to make different cards important at different parts of the game. Why would you ever play a weaker spell? Because it's cheaper. It's something you can do during the early parts of the game. The mana system essentially allowed the designers to create numerous versions of each effect, because they can be sized and priced to matter at different times. Because of this, each card now has a different reason to be considered for your deck. This diversity of card usage is a key factor in making the entire trading card game work.
#2 – It Controls the Flow of the Game
One of the best ways to understand the value of something is to imagine a world in which it doesn't exist. So for this thought experiment, let's imagine that you can play whatever card you want whenever you want. How would the game play? Turn one, you'd play most of your cards—definitely the permanents that you can attack your opponent with and any proactive spells. The only things you wouldn't play would be reactive spells that would want to wait until they're useful.
As this is a trading card game, you would choose cards that bent towards this system. Most likely you would choose cards that overcome the two major limits in the system, turns and cards. For example, you'd be much more likely to play creatures with haste because the ability to attack the turn you cast the creature helps you accelerate the usefulness of your creatures by a turn. Likewise, card drawing would go from being very good to being completely insane as it would allow you to play even more spells.
The end result of this is that the game would probably end on the first player's first turn. Maybe the opponent has enough reactive cards to stop the first player, but the abuse of this system leads to games that end very quickly.
Now you can start to see what the mana system is preventing. Magic is more fun if only one or two cards get cast a turn, especially in the early game. The mana system allows a slow buildup as players get to cast larger and more powerful spells. The mana system serves as a release valve that helps ensure that something happens each turn, but not too much.
Most players don't think about the pace of the game because people don't tend to think about what just is. Magic plays the way it does because, well, that's what it does. When you peek behind the scenes, though, you start to realize that there are all sorts of ways the game could play badly. The mana system was created to help regulate the game play to the pace we all know and love.
#3 – It Helps the Game Become More Dramatic Over Time
In many ways this point is a corollary to the last, but it's so important to the game, I'm giving it its own section. To explain this one I'm going to start by explaining something I learned while taking drama classes as a kid. I attended the Cleveland Playhouse Youth Theater and, at the time, the lessons were broken up into different classes. You would sign up for numerous classes and then each hour you'd transition to a different class. One of my favorite classes I ever took was called stage combat.
For those who have never met me, I'm not a fighter. (Yes, that makes me a lover.) I've never thrown a punch at anyone. I've never fought with a weapon. I've never smashed anyone's skull into the ground. Well, I've never done these things for real, but I did all of them in stage combat class. You see, stage combat is all about learning how to fight for the stage. Note that you're not actually fighting. What you're doing is much closer to dance, with everything carefully choreographed. My opponent knows to block his head with his sword, because he knows I'm going to swing at it. When done well, stage combat looks quite real.
I bring up stage combat because it taught me the importance of what makes a good fight. Remember that stage combat isn't just about making it look real, it's about understanding how to make it as entertaining as possible. In short, I learned what made a good fight. Little did I know how much that knowledge would come in handy later in life.
In a nutshell, here's what I learned. A fight needs to start small and build. In fact, most fights are broken into sections for purposes of staging. Each section needs to one-up the one before it. For example, most stage fights start as what is called fisticuffs—that is, you hit each other with your bare hands. Small fisticuffs usually turn to bigger fisticuffs with larger moves getting thrown in. Then someone pulls a weapon into the fight. Sometimes it's a real weapon (swordplay is very popular in theater), but often it's just whatever is lying around turned into a weapon.
The first weapon leads the opponent to get a weapon as well. Often the weapons get upgraded over time as a fighter finds an even better weapon. Next, the fight usually tends to get upgraded in terms of where it's fought. Fights always start on the ground but seldom end there. One or more of the fighters is going to take higher ground, be it on a table, a staircase, or whatever other scenery the stage allows. Finally, one fighter makes some awesome move that you've never seen before to win the fight (the earlier in the play the better chance the bad guy wins, and the later the better chance the good guy wins).
During all of the above, one other important thing is going on. Who is winning the fight keeps going back and forth. One player will make a good move and start dominating the fight, but just as it seems it's over the other fighter pulls out some new stunt to turn the tides and then begins winning. Another thing that often happens is that one player will lose his or her weapon (almost always the good guy) and have to improvise. In a good stage fight, it's seldom clear who's going to win in the end because there is so much back and forth.
What I've just described is basically what an optimal Magic duel looks like. Players need to start small and build. The weapons getting used get more and more sophisticated. All the while there is a constant back-and-forth between the sides. One of the great beauties of the mana system is that it naturally does all of this. It helps optimize duels to become awesome fights.
It's funny because I think people sometimes think of the mana system as preventing good games, not realizing that they are merely focusing on the aspect that draws the most attention to itself. It's very easy to see how the mana system denied you mana. It's much harder to see how it created all the underpinning for every great Magic duel you've ever fought.
#4 – It Helps Players Make Choices
One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced designers is giving the players too many options. This stems from a misbelief that more options make for a better game. (I have a lot to say on this topic, but I'll wait for my complexity article, which I'll write one of these days.) The key is to start the game with a few easy options and slowly raise the number of choices as the game progresses. There will also come a point where you want to stop increasing the choices because there's some critical mass of choices that decreases the game's fun.
Let's walk through how the mana system handles this issue.
Early turns: You can only play a handful of spells because they are the only ones cheap enough that you can actually cast them.
Middle game: You have a few more options but as these spells are more expensive you still are usually limited to one spell a turn.
Late game: You are able to cast anything you want and can probably cast multiple spells a turn, but because it's late in the game odds are you don't have that many spells left in your hand.
In each case, the mana system helps keep the player's choices in check. I'm sure to experienced players this may not seem like a big deal, but keeping the decision tree a manageable size is very key to the design of a good game.
#5 – It Cuts Down on the Number of Unique Cards in Your Deck
There is another common misbelief that more is better in game design. A game with twenty rules is better than a game with ten. A game with twelve pieces is better than one with six. This misbelief follows that more (pieces, rules, or whatever else) equals greater depth of game play. If there is more for me to keep track of, clearly I, the better player, will benefit.
The mistake here is that what makes a game enjoyable is not the same thing as what will allow a better player to have a greater chance of winning. In fact, in most cases the opposite is true. Most players don't want to learn a game that they feel they can never win. Part of a game being fun is that the player, any player, feels they have a chance to win. They don't have to be the favorite, just feel like there's a chance.
That said, please be aware that Magic is in no way starving for complexity. I've never heard of anyone playing the game who says, "There just isn't enough for me to think about." Magic has plenty going on. The fact that the mana system almost halves the number of unique cards in the deck is doing a great service to the game.
#6 – It Keeps Variance in the Game
Several years ago, I wrote a column called Kind Acts of Randomness where I explained how I believe randomness is an important part of making a game fun. (You can click the link to see me explain why.) Variance while connected to randomness is slightly different. Variance is about having different things happen each time you play. Games benefit from variance because players will grow tired of playing the exact same game over and over. Randomness helps create variance.
The mana system is one of the greatest sources of randomness and variance in the game. Let's explore why:
It mixes up when you can play spells – Game 1, you might drop lands on turns one, two, and three. Game 2, maybe you have a turn-one and turn-two drop, but your third land drop doesn't happen until turn five. The change between those two scenarios is merely drawing one land two turns later, but that little difference is a giant deal. Those two games play out very differently. In the first you get to cast your three-drop on turn three, waiting to cast your second two-drop on a later turn. In the second, you get a chance to cast your other two-drops hoping to stay alive until you get more land.
It greatly changes the value of the draw – It's late in the game. You have plenty of mana out but you've run out of cards. In scenario A, you draw an expensive bomb. In scenario B, you draw a land. The difference in the value of that card draw is huge. This creates tension and allows for very exciting game moments.
It restricts how many things you can do – Say you have three spells in your hand you can cast and three things on the battlefield you can activate. Because your mana is a resource, you don't have the ability to do everything, which means you have to pick and choose what to do. This allows even a static board to have variance because there is some flexibility in what the player will do.
The key here is that the mana system's inconsistency which is often pointed at as a bug is actually a feature. I often talk about how restrictions breed creativity but I usually talk about it in the context of design. It's also true in game play. One of the great joys of gaming is not having everything you need but finding a way to get your tasks accomplished with what you have. Players love to curse the "mana gods," but think about how many exciting games you've had because things didn't quite work out the way you were hoping and you had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
#7 – It Adds Skill to the Game
One of the biggest complaints of the mana system is that it lessens skill in the game. I'm going to argue that it doesn't. Yes, the mana system increases randomness and variance, which can lead to the better player sometimes losing. (This, incidentally, is another feather in the mana system's camp as far as I'm concerned; games in which the lesser player cannot win are not so fun for anyone other than the best players.) In exchange for the occasional disparity between the players' resources, the mana system gives a whole other area for the better player to master.
A very important part of being a good Magic player is understanding how the mana system works and how to maximize its use for your gain, especially in deckbuilding. In addition, the better players have to understand how to compensate when the mana system isn't going your way. In short, the existence of the mana system is yet another area where the better player gets to gain advantage on the less-skilled player.
Mana La Mancha
Before I wrap up for today, let me make one last comment about the elephant in the room: mana screw. I feel like judging the mana system on mana screw is the same as judging a car by its exhaust. Mana screw is a not-so-fun by-product of a wonderful system. As I show above, I do believe parts of it do good. The parts that don't, though, are merely the necessary evil of a far greater good. No matter how many times I say this, there are always people who don't believe me—and I'm sure if you check this article's forum thread you'll meet some of them—but I believe, as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
That's all I have for today. I hope you enjoyed my examination of what makes Magic's mana system so important to the game. I'm curious to hear what you all have to think. Feel free to email me using the link below, write a note in this column's thread, or tweet me on Twitter (@maro254).
Join me in two weeks when I assume command. Remember that next Monday is Memorial Day (a U.S. holiday that celebrates the memory of fallen soldiers) so there will be no Making Magic, or any other new content, on DailyMTG.com.
Until then, may you have some drama when you're not expecting it.
Bonus Section:
Today you get a little bonus section as I want to talk about something I've been doing that you might have not been aware of. I've had a Twitter feed for a while now. One day, I got a new app for my iPhone (called Half Tone) that allowed me to make my photos look like they were from an old-time comic book. For fun, I posted a picture on Twitter. I got a good response and so I did another one. And then another one. Before I realized it, I had started a daily comic, called "Tales from the Pit."
I've been posting the comics every weekday for over a month now. You can see them linked on my Twitter or posted on a tumblr account I started as a place to post them all.
I've been having a blast making the comics, so if you enjoy the few posted here please check out all the old ones and check in each week day to see the new ones. As always, any feedback on the comics (what you like or don't like; what's funny and not to you) is always much appreciated.
See you in the funny papers.


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Hotchkis 1971 Chevrolet Camaro - Sucker Punch
Hotchkis '71 Camaro
At the 2010 Super Chevy Suspension & Handling Challenge, presented by Nitto Tire, the gang from Santa Fe Springs, California, brought out a first-gen Camaro that really delivered a sucker punch to the rest of our entries. While others sported all kinds of unusual tricks (like a Jag-style IRS with inboard disc brakes), Hotchkis wowed the competition with simple bolt-on parts. With its TVS suspension, it ran the quickest autocross time by 0.02 second). For this year's event, Hotchkis brought out a second-gen to wow us, but with something new from its catalog, a three-link Panhard bar rear suspension.
It seems like for leaf-spring cars, this is the hot setup in the market right now. Multiple companies are developing bolt-in kits, and they offer superb handling without the necessary modifications for install like a four-link system.
The subject car belongs to Deanna Marengo. Originally she had started out with a Chevelle on her quest for muscle car coolness, but after a chance encounter with our test driver Mary Pozzi slinging her own Camaro around at a Goodguys event autocross, she knew a more nimble F-body was the way to go. After finding a worthy candidate, the car soon to be known as "Sucker Punch" was soon going through a full rebuild, using the same parts as Pozzi's Camaro and even a few of her take-offs as that car underwent a rebuild of its own. Then the Hotchkis boys stepped in, and the rest was history.
Driving impression - On The Autocross Course
This red wine-colored second-gen Camaro wasn't flashy, didn't have gorilla-sized meats on all four corners, nor did it sport an LS anything under the hood, but it was pure brilliance when it counted. Working quietly in their Bat Cave, Hotchkis R&D has brought us something new for Camaro/Firebird owners ... nope, not more leaf springs but a fully adjustable, easy-to-tune, heavy-duty, three-link rear suspension. What's cool about Hotchkis Sport Suspension is it offers handling systems for almost every type of driving imaginable, and this three-link is slated for the serious street, autocross, or track enthusiast. Their entry for the suspension-fest this year was an immaculate '71 with the second Hotchkis three-link rear in existence (mine got the first prototype) installed. By the time you read this, the final product will have been released to the masses.
The car's owner, Deanna Marengo, bought the Camaro about a year ago and basically raised the radiator cap and essentially replaced the entire car. She swapped the existing drivetrain, suspension, brakes, wheels, and tires hoping to create a corner carver that could give miles of smiles. That it did, and I was eagerly anticipating testing this bad boy thoroughly through the cones. The NT555s are excellent high-performance street tires and they did great here, but a car with this much potential could have easily taken advantage of NT05s or the 100-treadwear NT01s.
I was able to deftly flick this car into the initial slalom tour, get it positioned, and then lightly brake to enter the fast lane changes before slowing rapidly for the end turnaround. It was at this point a second limiting factor slapped me upside the head. While light braking got the car slowed, firm application of the stoppers found lock-up really quick and way too soon for my liking. It was a fine line between a light settle and slow to "Aw ... crap!" Apologizing to the Nittos in advance, we headed for home and easily threaded through another set of offsets leading into the Chicago Box, a short chute followed by a four-cone slalom, and then a mad dash through the stop clocks. And yes, I was a smiling, happy camper.
There's so much to like about this car. It had plenty of power from its 383. The seating and placement of driver was perfect. And it even had my favorite, a 15-inch-diameter steering wheel. But the main thing that stood out was the quality of the ride. The Hotchkis Camaro had no problems taking and putting power to the ground, and was very compliant, yet not wallowy. We've all driven cars that fit the latter, and when I try to autocross a sway machine, it takes weeks to get through a corner. Wallow does have some merits, like if you're a waterbed.
So, do you ditch the leafs and plunk down some coin for three links, brackets, and a Panhard bar? My vast experience with Hotchkis bits has been very positive, and this was the first time I'd driven this particular Camaro with the present set-up. With leafs, you can seriously work the car hard. They'll handle corners well, but sometimes produce the dreaded "Hop, Skip, and Jump" axle dance during hard braking, or leap sideways if one tire rides up on, oh, say, a track berm at speed. With the Hotchkis rear three-link, I was able to dance the car through the slaloms and offsets, plant the rear under acceleration, and move the car about at will. Even more pleasing was the car gave me a very wide threshold approaching loss of traction to actually losing it and handled my pressure well. No axle hop, no unexpected leaps, and I especially liked that I could slide and laterally move the car at will yet recapture it easily. Whether it's making an illicit banzai run up a favorite mountain road, or sedately cruising on the Power Tour, this Camaro's handling fits the bill. --
Driving impression - On The Street
After being thoroughly impressed with the Hotchkis Camaro last year, I couldn't wait to try out its 2011 entry. It brought a whole 'nother animal this year, a second-gen with the company's new three-link/Panhard bar/coilover setup. To cut to the chase, it delivered the goods without disappointment.
Let's start with the steering: Excellent. It was linear, direct, offered terrific feedback and was without any play. Best of all, the car had a nice, tight turning radius, a must for the oft-driven street car.
The 383 under the hood was always willing and the Richmond five-speed gearbox a pleasant surprise. It shifted precisely and the shifter action was sweet. The Corbeau driver's seat fit me perfectly and did a fabulous job in athletic maneuvers of keeping me in place. Great bang for the buck, here, as they deliver maximum driver performance and comfort at a price that's far below that of many aftermarket chairs.
Then there's the suspension itself. There was a little bit of extra noise that was transmitted to the cockpit, but not enough to deter me from whipping out the credit card. Its three-link installation does require that you delete the rear seats. This could be a deal-breaker if you have kids, but if this is going to be a weekend toy, then it's nothing to worry about.
Testing facility provided by AMCI at www.eltorofield.com
Hotchkis '71 Camaro
DrivetrainEngine Type: GMPP ZZ383 small-block
Block: GM iron with 3.80 stroke crank
Fuel Delivery: Demon 750-cfm carb, Edelbrock dual plane intake, and Holley mechanical fuel pump
Transmission: Richmond five-speed
Clutch: Hays
Rearend: Factory 10-bolt, 3.08 gears, limited-slip differential
Chassis: GM
Front Suspension: Hotchkis upper and lower tubular A-arms
Steering: GM variable ratio
Springs: Hotchkis 2-inch lowering, 600 lbs/in
Spindles: Factory disc spindle
Shocks: Hotchkis-tuned Bilstein
Sway Bar: Hotchkis 1-1/8-inch hollow
Brakes: Baer Track 4, four-piston calipers and 13-inch rotors
Rear Suspension: Hotchkis three-link
Springs: 225 lbs/in
Shocks: Hotchkis-tuned Bilstein
Sway Bar: Hotchkis 3/4-inch solid
Brakes: Baer Street System four-piston calipers and 12-inch rotors
Other: Hotchkis subframe connectors, Hotchkis handle bars, and Global West interlocking body bushings
Cost of Suspension Total: $7,987.90
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Vintage Wheel Works V40, front-17x8 (4.5bs), rear-17x9.5 (5.5bs)
Tires: Nitto NT555, Front-255/40R17, Rear- 275/40R17
Total: 3,388
LF: 967 lbs | LR: 732 lbs |
RF: 900 lbs | RR: 789 lbs |
1971 Chevy Camaro
Slalom 45.50 mph (average of the best five runs)
Autocross 45.82 sec. (best lap)
2011 Chevy Camaro SS
Slalom 47.70 mph
Autocross 44.98 sec.

subset: commoncrawl


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DK Science: Sound Reproduction
Most sounds happen only briefly and are then lost to us. Fortunately, there are two ways in which we can record sounds and later reproduce them (play them back). One way is to convert and store sound using other forms of energy, such as electricity and magnetism. The other, DIGITAL way involves converting and storing sound in the form of numbers.
Inside a recording studio, a microphone is turning the sound energy of this singer's voice into electrical energy. She holds it close up to cut out background sounds. A wire carries the pulses of electricity to sound recording equipment elsewhere in the studio.
Lots of different singers and instruments can appear on a record, and each one has to be recorded by a separate microphone. The knobs on this mixing desk control the signals from the different microphones. Each knob can make a singer or player louder or quieter in the mix.
The final version of the recording is put on sale on CD. The music is recorded in the surface of the plastic disk as a series of tiny bumps (seen as red and yellow in this highly magnified photograph). The bumps are covered by fine metal film and a layer of plastic.
Every CD player contains a laser that reads the series of bumps on the CD surface as a long string of numbers. The CD's shiny metal film reflects back the light of the laser. The numbers are converted back to the same pulses of electricity that originally made the bumps in the CD.
A microphone changes sound waves into tiny bursts of electricity. Inside it, sound waves cause a flexible disc (diaphragm) to vibrate. The up-and-down movement of a wire coil fixed to the diaphragm interacts with a magnet to produce a varying electrical current that can be stored and played back.
The reel of tape inside an audio cassette stores sound as a pattern of magnetic pulses laid out along its length. When the tape is used in a cassette player, the magnetic pulses are turned back into electricity and sound.
When a piece of music is ready for transfer to CD, a blank master CD is set up to spin round at very high speed in front of a laser that switches on and off very quickly. Each time the laser switches on, it burns a tiny bump onto the CD's plastic surface. The pattern of bumps is a coded version of the music stored on the CD. Copies of the master CD have the same surface bumps, which are read by CD players.
Sounds can be stored in digital form by using electronics to turn them into patterns of numbers. A CD stores music on its surface as a pattern of bumps. The bumps represent a coded pattern of numbers that the CD player turns back into sound waves. Digitally recorded sounds are not affected by background noises. Digital sounds are easily edited and mixed with the aid of computerized equipment.
A sound wave is stored digitally by a process called sampling. The amplitude (height) of the wave is measured every so often and stored as a number. When all these numbers are written together, they make a longer number that represents the entire wave. The more times the wave is measured, or sampled, the better it sounds during playback.
Many people now get their music from the Internet, where each piece of music is stored in a file called an MP3. These files can be downloaded using an ordinary computer, then copied onto a plug-in memory card. The card is unplugged from the computer and inserted into a portable MP3 player. The downloaded MP3 music files then load directly into the player.


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Fresh sweet figs marinated in mild tangy balsamic marinade contrast with powerful pungent shaved Parmesan in this elegant salad adapted from Tom Kime via BBC Good Food.
- Cut each fig lengthways into four wedges. Make a marinade by whisking the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stand the fig wedges up in the middle of a large shallow serving dish, keeping them close together. Scatter the lemon zest and thyme on top, then drizzle with the marinade. Leave to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- To serve, lightly torn arugula leaves round the figs, scatter with Parmesan shaves, and drizzle with a little olive oil.
I am sending this to October Your Best Recipe.


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Why are we producing a child's version of The Pilgrim's Progress, the second-most widely read book of all time? Did we really expect children to understand this allegory or even be interested in it? What about the seventeenth-century vocabulary and strange names of characters?
At Great Commission Publications, we considered these questions and many more as we responded to requests to produce a curriculum to teach children the timeless biblical truths in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. But if we were going to do so, it would have to teach children in an age-appropriate manner in such a way that, as they got older, it would not have to be "untaught."
We were committed to keeping the story true to Bunyan's original, so if it were read later in life, it would not seem like a different story. GCP did not want the storybook to be like a movie that is nothing like the book.
So this storybook had to be true to the original, but also written at a child's level, specifically ages 6 to 12. And the curriculum had to explain to young minds the wonderful biblical truths that Bunyan was teaching with his story. As young readers grow older and read the original, they will know the story line, but they will also be able to understand the details, depth, and truths of the scriptural analogies in a deeper and more profound manner.
What can a child learn from Pilgrim's Progress? Our prayer is that your children—those in your home, families, church, and communities—will gain a deeper understanding of:
These truths not only have significant implications for children now, but also will impact them as they grow in their faith as teens and into adulthood.
The story helps children see that it is necessary to know God's truth in order to know how to respond to others and various situations. They will travel with Christian on his journey and see the various challenges that he faces, while following along on the illustrated map on the inside front cover of the book. Each chapter opens with a full-page illustration to assist children in understanding the major theme and emphasis of that chapter. Artwork on practically every page will help them grasp unfamiliar character names and qualities. For example, Vain Confidence, a man who tries to lead Christian off the narrow path, is excellently illustrated as a man who exudes false hope.
A chapter-by-chapter glossary further helps children and parents by explaining unfamiliar words and analogies. This child-friendly aid turns the characters of the story into someone they know, such as Obstinate, someone who is stubborn or unwilling to change, and Pliable, a person easily bent or influenced, who only wants a gospel that makes him happy.
The 13-week curriculum anticipated for fall 2014 will build on each chapter of the book. Each week a reading of a chapter is followed by a teaching time. Then, through individual and group work, children will review and reinforce their understanding of God's truths. This time is critical in relating Bible truths to living out their faith.
May this generation join with others who read The Pilgrim's Progress more than once in their lifetime. Charles Spurgeon is said to have read it more than 100 times and said, "Next to the Bible, the book I value most is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress."
This edition contains thirteen chapters, with glossary and index. There are over fifty stunning, original illustrations, and a full-color map of Christian's journey. This treasured keepsake makes a great gift for children and grandchildren. It is a 112-page hardcover with dust jacket (6 x 9 inches).
A free sample chapter and introduction are available at the website www.childrenspilgrimsprogress.org. There is a special offer for New Horizons readers until December 31, 2013: two books for 25% off OR three or more books for 25% off plus free shipping (books regularly $19.95). These offers are available only by phone at 800-695-3387.
© 2024 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church


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This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
dog portfolio
Unseasonably cold weather is on the way, which means it's time to give special attention to your pets and livestock, both inside and out.
Cold weather creates its own set of stress for all animals, but your pet needs your undivided attention now more than at almost any time of the year. Here are some winterizing tips for optimizing your animal's comfort and well-being:
When the temperatures reach sub-zero, it's time to give the outdoor cat and dog a break and invite them in, even if it's in the garage. This goes for Northern breeds like Siberian huskies or Malamutes as well as medium-coated German shepherds, golden retrievers, and others in our region where they may not be acclimated to such extremes.
By "inside," that doesn't mean letting dogs and cats in and out of a warm house from night to day. Creating an abrupt temperature contrast can increase the risk of some infectious diseases. Consider housing them in the shelter of a well-built doghouse or bringing them into a tool shed or garage.
When you take your inside pooch out for "bathroom break," stay out with them. If you're cold enough to go inside, it probably is too cold for the pet to stay out much longer as well.
When you bring a pet in, wipe its paws and underside, making certain there are no ice balls clinging between the toes or on the sole of the foot. They can cause frostbite to an animal that is left outside for a significant time in sub-zero temperatures.
If you opt not to bring the dog inside, make certain its shelter is clean, dry and well insulated with straw, wood shavings or a blanket. Animals drag a lot of moisture onto their bedding from every trip outside in snow. Plan on changing the bedding as frequently as necessary or simply placing it in the dryer for a warm-up. Equally critical, position the opening, which should have a door flap, away from the direction in which snow and wind usually comes.
Outdoor cats will seek warmth and sometimes this includes near or on a car engine. This means that if they don't move when you go out to start the engine the next time, they can be seriously injured or killed. Before starting the engine, rap on the hood a couple of times to chase them off from beneath the hood.
Pets that move about on sidewalks, driveways or streets run the risk of picking up rock salt, ice and other chemicals in their foot pads. Each time they are brought in, make certain to wipe all four feet thoroughly. There is a tendency for them to lick the salt off their feet, which can cause an inflammation of the digestive tract.
Keep an eye on your pet's outside water. If it is not heated, it will need to be changed several times daily when temperatures dip far below freezing. Ice is not a substitute for clean water. Pet stores sell heated bowls, which can prevent water freezing.
For short-coated breeds like greyhounds, Boston terriers, and Chihuahuas, you might want to put them in a protective sweater before taking them outside. They will become chilled quickly after leaving a 72-degree house and walking onto single-digit-temperature turf. Also realize, sweaters are not a substitute for shelter. They can get wet and actually remove more heat from an animal than they conserve.
Be particularly careful when escorting elderly, arthritic pets outside. They will become stiff and tender quickly and may find it difficult to move about in the snow or ice. Keep them tethered tightly to your side if the route to the yard is icy. A bad slip can cause a ruptured disc, broken leg or other major injury.
If you live near a pond or lake, don't allow your pets or livestock to run loose without some thought on your part. They may head for thin ice and fall through if they are not familiar with icy ponds. It is very difficult to escape these watery graves and equally challenging for you to reach the site safely.
Nutrition is a particularly important concern. Outdoor pets require more calories in the winter to generate energy to ward off the cold. As a result, add 10 to 15 percent more to its daily diet to allow it to meet those needs. Another way to meet cold weather calorie requirements is by adding some fats to their regular ration. Be careful though, fats can lead to diarrhea and dehydration if too much is added.
Horses and other livestock need a windbreak, cover, warm bedding, abundant high-quality feed, and fresh water, too. Cold weather alone won't make healthy horses ill. But if exposed to soaking rains, snow and wind, they run the risk of catching pneumonia. Bedding like thick layers of straw or shavings is critical, since it will keep the animals off the cold, wet ground. Like pet shelters, the open side of any livestock enclosure should be faced be away from prevailing winds. Again, water must be heated or changed several times daily. A reduction in water intake and the resulting dehydration in horses can trigger colic.


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Anytime a business owner goes online to bank, shop for equipment or place a classified ad for a new employee, chances are they are navigating what's become known as the cloud — a metaphor for the Internet where business transactions are more and more commonplace and economically sensible.
And Phoenix, interestingly, has its own slice of this cloud with large data centers operating in the desert, free from natural disasters and other forces that could impact the vital necessity of data being available and uninterrupted in a 24/7/365 environment.
While data centers use a significant amount of energy — think of the thousands of computer servers housing banking operations, business software and more — data centers are being recognized for their positive impact on the environment.
The reason is simple: Data centers move business into the digital age. Processes that are digitized produce less carbon emissions than their analog counterparts, and data centers provide the infrastructure enabling this digitization to occur. Both serve as the foundation for an energy-efficient enterprise.
The transition from physical, "offline" processes to digital, online processes is referred to as digitization or dematerialization. Research has shown that by digitizing or "dematerializing" processes there is a significant decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. Large, modern, commercial-grade data centers utilize the latest technologies and provide energy savings through economies of scale.
With the advent of the commercial Internet in the 1990s, companies have improved how they interact with their customers, partners and employees. Prior to the World Wide Web and e-mail, businesses and government transacted in mostly inefficient and unconnected ways. For example, in order to pay a bill, the customer would send a paper-based check by mail, which would be delivered to the recipient by way of a network of carbon-emitting postal vehicles.
Today, bills can be paid online in a matter of minutes. By digitizing this offline process, the need for material (i.e. paper) to be created and transported has been eliminated. This in turn has resulted in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
Over the past 20 years there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of offline processes that have been digitized — everything from software distribution to financial transactions to medical record keeping. The combined effect of all of these digital processes is a macro-scale reduction in the overall use of materials and a more efficient distribution of the materials.
The impact of dematerialization has been quantified by a number of prominent corporations and research institutions, including Microsoft, Intel, Lawrence Berkley Labs and Stanford University.
A recent paper by Dr. Jonathan Koomey, senior researcher for Lawrence Berkley Labs, studied the impact on CO2 emissions resulting from the purchase of music online as compared to the purchase of a compact disc at a music store. Their research shows that the process of purchasing music online can reduce CO2 emissions, on a conservative basis, between 40 percent and 80 percent.
A comparative carbon footprint study of Microsoft's Office 2007 product suite found that the digital delivery of their product to customers reduced carbon emissions by 88 percent.
According to NPG Group, Apple leads the U.S. with 25 percent of all music sold, surpassing both Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. Apple's iTunes music service has materially changed the way music is purchased and in so doing has eliminated a substantial portion of the carbon footprint related to the offline distribution of music.
iTunes, software distribution, online bill payment and many other digital services are delivered by a complex array of IT systems, including servers and telecommunications networks. These servers and networks are located in data centers. Data centers provide the infrastructure (i.e. power, cooling, network access) required by these digital services to function.
Most corporate data centers are built to accommodate the IT needs of a single business unit or department. Large, commercial-grade data centers leverage the economies of scale to reduce energy consumption. Instead of operating 10 smaller data centers, an organization could consolidate its IT infrastructure into one or two large data centers and reduce the costs and energy associated with operating separate cooling, UPS, backup power and network access systems.
Modern data centers use the latest technologies and engineering best practices including variable frequency drives, light-emitting diodes (LED) fixtures, thermal energy storage, photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays, ultrasonic humidification and sealed cabinets. Collectively, these systems contribute to a significant reduction in energy consumption — especially during peak load periods.
By combining digitized processes with the economies of scale recognized at large, modern, commercial-grade data centers, today's enterprise can materially reduce the energy it consumes and greatly improve its efficiency. As consumers, businesses and government look for more efficient ways to communicate and transact, dematerialization and data centers will provide the foundation for a more energy efficient enterprise.


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A new global study reveals that 85% of consumers want more renewable energy, and 49% are willing to pay more for products made using renewable energy. The survey, performed by TNS Gallup and commissioned by Vestas, asked consumers about their preferences for renewable energy.
Notably, 74% of respondents said they would have a more positive perception of a brand if wind energy were its primary energy source, and 62% of respondents said they would be more willing to buy products from brands that use wind energy.
'The evidence presented by the surveys is extremely encouraging, clearly showing that consumers are demanding more renewable energy in the grid and are showing a willingness to pay a premium price for products made with renewable energy,' says Morten Albaek, senior vice president of marketing, communication and corporate relations at Vestas.
The study also found that 45% of the consumers surveyed perceive climate change as one of the top three challenges facing the world today, with 17% saying it is the single greatest challenge.
In addition, Bloomberg New Energy Finance's (BNEF) Corporate Renewable Energy Index Report 2012 (CREX) found that renewable energy is also becoming more favorable to corporations. In 2011, net corporate investment in renewable power capacity outpaced that of fossil-fuel generation ($237 billion for renewables versus $223 billion for additional fossil-fuel generation).
'The findings of the CREX report show corporations are taking an active role in purchasing their own renewable energy directly,' notes Michael Liebreich, CEO of BNEF. 'However, the pace of growth in companies' use of renewable energy will depend on the level of political and regulatory support, and on further progress in the cost-competitiveness of these technologies.'


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If you are 18 years or older, an emancipated minor, and have been harassed, stalked, threatened, assaulted, etc. by a spouse, former spouse, are expecting or have a child in common with abusive party, are currently living with the abuser or have in the past, are related by blood, or regardless of your age have had a dating relationship with a person 18 years or older or who is emancipated, and you are concerned for your safety, you may request a restraining order. You will be listed as plaintiff, and your abuser will be listed as the defendant.
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You may file a domestic violence complaint and request a temporary restraining order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the county in which you reside, the county in which the abuse occurred, or the county in which you are currently sheltered. In Ocean County, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, go to the:Justice Complex120 Hooper AvenueRoom 175Toms River, NJ 08753
After hours, or on weekends and holidays go to your local police department. The police will process your request for a restraining order in an emergency situation only.
A restraining order forbids the defendant from further acts of domestic violence. It restrains the defendant from having any contact with the plaintiff, or plaintiff's relatives, friends, or co-workers. A restraining order can also grant one party temporary custody and arrange a visitation schedule.
The defendant can be ordered to pay plaintiff for care and maintenance of the minor children. A plaintiff may request temporary possession of the residence, order defendant to receive counseling, and/or monetary compensation to victim.
Any person who is named as a defendant may violate the order by harassing, stalking, or assaulting you, or by causing another to do the same. Assess your immediate safety first, call the police if necessary. You may file a violation at the Police Department in the town where the abuse took place or in the:Justice Complex120 Hooper AvenueRoom 175Toms River, NJ 08753
If the defendant refuses to comply with the Judge's Order for Support, Visitation or Counseling, you or your attorney may file a Motion of Enforcement. Motion Kits to assist you with this are available at the Justice Complex.
Any person who is named as a defendant may violate the order. Remember this is a no contact order. If your abuser calls you, sends flowers, cards, letters, etc., the abuser is in violation unless otherwise worded in the order.
The (victim) plaintiff cannot violate the order, but remember you requested this no contact order for your safety.
Although as the victim you are not ordered to stay away from the defendant and cannot be arrested, we urge you to limit contact. When restraints were ordered, you feared for your safety. If circumstances have changed, do not assume the order is not in effect. The abuser may be arrested if with you, even with your permission.
Please contact Providence House or the Domestic Violence Crisis Intervention Unit at 732-929-2019 for direction in dismissing the restraining order.


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MADBULL Daniel Defense 7.62 Lite Rail 9inch
"The 7.62 Lite Rail™ features our patented "Bolt-Up System" allowing simplified alignment to the upper receiver and providing a continuous, uninterrupted upper rail platform flat top upper receivers. The "Bolt-Up System" is also used on the Daniel Defense RIS II (selected by SOCOM for the SOPMOD II program). Every component of the 7.62 Lite Rail™ has been precisely assessed, thoroughly tested, improved upon, and manufactured tough enough to become the new benchmark in 7.62 rail systems." - DanielDefense.com
MADBULL Daniel Defense 7.62 Lite Rail 9inch
1:1 Scale External Replica of 7.62 Lite Rail 12.0, for Airsoft Only
Cannot be applied to real firearms (blocked gas pipe tunnel & incompatible delta ring)
Black anodize (Real steel is Military level III hard coat with Teflon coating)
Free Floating Barrel Design
Uninterrupted Upper Rail Platform
Precision CNC Machined T-6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum
Mil-Spec 1913 Picatinny Rails
Lightweight 14.4 oz (12.0)